¹And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

¹¶ Ano ra ko Topara Naamati; i mea ia,

²Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man of much talk be justified?

²Kaua ranei hei whakautua te tini o nga kupu? A e whakatikaia ranei te tangata ngutu hohoro?

³Should thy fictions make men hold their peace? and shouldest thou mock, and no one make [thee] ashamed?

³Ma au kupu whakapehapeha ranei e nohopuku ai nga tangata? A, ina tawai koe, kaua ranei he tangata e mea i a koe kia whakama?

⁴For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

⁴E mea ana hoki koe, He tino tika taku whakaako, a he ma ahau ki ou kanohi.

⁵But oh that +God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

⁵Aue, me i korero te Atua, me i puaki mai ona ngutu ki te whakahe i a koe!

⁶And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, how that they are the double of what is realised; and know that +God passeth by [much] of thine iniquity!

⁶Me i whakaaturia mai e ia ki a koe nga mea ngaro o te matauranga, te huhua o nga ara o tana mahi! Na kia matau koe, he iti iho i ou he ta te Atua e tango nei i a koe.

⁷Canst thou by searching find out +God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?

⁷¶ Ina whakatakina e koe, e kitea ranei e koe te Atua? E tino kitea rawatia ranei e koe te Kaha Rawa?

⁸[It is as] the heights of heaven; what wilt thou do? deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know?

⁸Kei te rangi te tiketike; ka pehea koe? Hohonu iho i te reinga; ko te aha e mohiotia e koe?

⁹The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

⁹Ko tona takoto, roa atu i te whenua, whanui atu i te moana.

¹⁰If he pass by, and shut up, and call to judgment, who can hinder him?

¹⁰Ki te mea ka haukotia e ia, ka herehera ranei, ka whakawakia ranei, ma wai ia e arai?

¹¹For he knoweth vain men, and seeth wickedness when [man] doth not consider it;

¹¹E mohio ana hoki ia ki nga tangata teka noa; a e kite ana ia i te he, ahakoa e kore e whakaaroa e ia.

¹²Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born [like] the foal of a wild ass.

¹²Otiia ko te mea whakaarokore nei, ko te tangata kahore rawa ona hinengaro, ae ra, to te tangata rite i tona whanautanga kei te kuao kaihe mohoao.

¹³If thou prepare thy heart and stretch out thy hands toward him,

¹³¶ Ki te whakatikaia e koe tou ngakau, a ka wherahia ou ringa ki a ia;

¹⁴If thou put far away the iniquity which is in thy hand, and let not wrong dwell in thy tents;

¹⁴Ki te mea he he kei tou ringa, whakamataratia atu, kaua hoki te kino e noho ki ou tapenakara;

¹⁵Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot, and thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear:

¹⁵He pono ko reira ara ai tou mata, te ai he ira; ae, ka u hoki koe, te ai he wehi:

¹⁶For thou shalt forget misery; as waters that are passed away shalt thou remember it;

¹⁶Tera hoki koe e wareware ki tou mauiui; a e maharatia e koe ano ko nga wai kua rere atu.

¹⁷And life shall arise brighter than noonday; though thou be enshrouded in darkness, thou shalt be as the morning,

¹⁷A ko tou ora tera e marama ke atu i to te poutumarotanga o ate ra; a ahakoa e pouri ano, ka rite ki te ata.

¹⁸And thou shalt have confidence, because there shall be hope; and having searched about [thee], thou shalt take rest in safety.

¹⁸Ka tatu ou whakaaro, no te mea ka whai tumanakohanga atu; ae, ka rapu koe i tetahi taha ou, i tetahi taha, a ka takoto marire koe.

¹⁹Yea, thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; and many shall seek thy favour.

¹⁹E takoto iho ano koe, te ai he kaiwhakawehi; he tokomaha ano hoki e whai kia paingia e koe.

²⁰But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and [all] refuge shall vanish from them, and their hope [shall be] the breathing out of life.

²⁰Ka poko ia nga kanohi o te hunga kino, kore ake he rerenga mo ratou; ko ta ratou e tumanako atu ai ko te hemonga.